Her ethereal, soothing voice softly padded her husband’s boisterous output and the wild roar of the grunge era that her band emerged from. For three decades, she uninterruptedly and humbly led one of Minnesota’s most celebrated rock groups of all time.
On Saturday night, Mimi Parker was silenced by cancer from internationally renowned Duluth rock trio Low.
The news of her death at the age of 55 was announced in a statement from her husband and bandmate Alan Sparhawk on Low’s Twitter feed on Sunday.
“Friends, it’s hard to put the universe into words and a short message, but she passed away last night surrounded by family and love, including yours.” the post read. “Keep her name close and holy. Share this moment with someone who needs you. Love is indeed the most important thing.”
Both Low’s drummer and co-singer Parker were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2020.
She is survived by her daughter Hollis and son Cyrus (both college-age) and her husband, whom she met in elementary school in the small town of Clearbrook, north Minnesota.
Although they are practicing Mormons – their beliefs are often played out in song lyrics alluding to end times, morality and redemption – the couple embarked on rock ‘n’ roll touring life soon after moving to Duluth, forming Low in 1993 with a string of diverse bass player.
They released 13 studio albums and steadily grew in importance over the following years. The latest of those records, Hey What, was one of several to receive critical acclaim, including an appearance at the top of Rolling Stone’s list of the top 50 albums of 2021.
“Mim was a unique and earth-shattering voice [and] a lovely and caring friend,” Trampled by Turtles frontman Dave Simonett said Sunday from the road, using the Sparhawk nickname that close friends had for Parker.
“She made some of the most beautiful music this world has ever known. We will miss them very much.”
Parker mostly kept her diagnosis under wraps until Low was forced to cancel tour dates last August.
The postponed concerts included a US Trek opening for Death Cab for Cutie and headlining dates in Europe. Low has had a strong following across the Atlantic, dating back to early, eager support from influential BBC DJ John Peel and tour dates with Radiohead, one of many better-known bands to cite the trio’s influence.
One of the group’s most well-known fans was Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, who re-recorded two Low songs on his 2010 album Band of Joy.
Low’s early albums like “I Could Live in Hope” were notoriously upbeat and, true to the band’s name, low volume and low tempo, qualities that critics found the music term “slowcore” notoriously overused. That changed forever with 2005’s louder masterpiece The Great Destroyer, the first of the band’s seven albums for Nirvana’s famed Seattle label Sub Pop Records.
Perhaps the best-known of Low’s albums, however, was 1999’s “Christmas,” an eight-song collection of new and traditional Christmas carols shaped by the couple’s icy harmonies and true Christian faith. It appeared in TV commercials for The Gap and made many lists of rock’s best Christmas albums.
Parker, Sparhawk and new bassist Liz Draper made it through the first half of 2022 to perform at clubs and festivals across America and Europe fueling the success of “Hey What” before Parker needed more treatment.
In another interview last summer, Parker said she and Sparhawk made it a point to highlight their uniquely tight-knit vocal parts on the well-received 2021 album.
“When we recorded the vocals on this record, we were like, ‘Whoa!’ She said. “They were kind of flashy and centered. We just sang pretty well. So that became kind of a cornerstone.”
The trio squeezed in one final short set for the Water Is Life environmental rally at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth this past Labor Day weekend. Her final Twin Cities performance was also a meaningful performance at Walker Art Center’s recent Rock the Garden festival, where Low had made waves in 2013 with a booming improv set.
Draper recalled a moment during one of the band’s final shows that summer when a member of the audience shouted, “Mimi, you’re an angel!”
“I remember thinking whoever shouted that was right: Mim is a bright light and we have been blessed here on earth with her power and grace,” said the bassist.
“Mim was stoic and friendly. She was an incredible mother. Low really was a matriarchy and I feel so incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to make music with her.”
Sad reactions to Parker’s death quickly piled up on social media on Sunday, with many fellow musicians and fans celebrating her music career as well as her reserved but positive and enduring personality.
“Grateful for all your beautiful music,” Semisonic’s Dan Wilson tweeted.
Fellow Duluth musician Gaelynn Lea wrote, “Mimi’s legacy is love and beauty, and the world is a better place because of her.”
Sub Pop Records tweeted in response to the news, “Forever near and holy. We love you.”
Duluth Mayor Emily Larson tweeted Sparhawk and her family, “This community loves you and we’re here to support you. We are so sorry for the loss of your music, life and family partner, let’s get out there and light your way ahead.”